XN000022-1972-05-23 — Page 2

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Tuesday, May 23, 1972

The Tsan Yuk Hospital was opened in 1922 with the main object

of providing a much-needed maternity service, and establishing a training

school for midwives, using Chinese as the language of instruction.

It is serving the public today by selectively booking maternity

cases with complications, and cases that may be potentially abnormal.

It also accepts for treatment emergency complicated obstetrical

cases that are referred from government or private maternity homes in Hong

Kong, the out-lying islands, and from the Tung ah Eastern and Tung Wah

hospitals.

The Hospital is a training centre for medical students, midwives

and also post-graduate students.

The idea for a separate maternity hospital and midwifery training

school was first suggested by Dr. Alice Hickling to the Chinese Public

Dispensary Committee.

When this was accepted and Taan Yuk materialised, the Hospital

opened in Western Street with 30 beds, and a staff consisting of the Medical

Officer in charge and Matron, two nurses, six student midwives and five

amahs a total of 15.

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In 1922, there were 436 admissions.

This grew to 1,000 within

the first five years, and to a peak of 7,000 in latter years.

By this time, there were 85 obstetrical beds with a staff of 90,

and the demand necessitated a rapid turnover of patients. So it became clear

that the Hospital needed to expand, and in 1952, the Royal Hong Kong Jockey

Club donated $3,570,000 for the building of the new Hospital.

/Her Royal